The Fine Arts Gallery at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Jackson County Campus announces the opening of the exhibit “ZENOSYNE,” featuring the 3-D ceramic work of Josh Edgar. The show will open Thursday, January 16, at 12:15 p.m., with a reception and artist talk.

Edgar served as an infantryman and sniper on active duty in the U.S. Army and the Mississippi National Guard for seven years before moving back to his hometown of Ocean Springs in 2013. He received his associate degree from MGCCC in 2015, and that same year won Best in Show at the Mississippi Community/Junior College Art Instructor Association’s state-wide collegiate exhibit. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in ceramics from the Mississippi University for Women in 2017. He is primarily a wood-fire potter. He currently resides in Austin, Texas.

Edgar’s work blurs the distinction between functionality and art, utilizing texture as a main component of his pieces. Taking inspiration from artists such as Janine Antoni, Akira Satake and Shozo Michikawa, Edgar strives to push the limits of his aesthetic with his ceramic and three-dimensional sculptures. His functional teacups and bowls express a desire to be held and used, while his twisted vessels are created by fusing organization and chaos, revealing the beauty in imperfection.

The exhibit will run through February 27 and is free and open to the public. For more information, contact gallery director Marc Poole at 228-497-7684 or marc.poole@mgccc.edu.